North East Wales Escape to the Country


North East Wales

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This masterpiece of engineering behind me is 1,000 feet long

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and 126 feet high, and it is

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the highest and longest aqueduct,

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made of cast iron, in the world.

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Find out what it's called and where I am in just a moment.

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On today's show, I'm setting out to find a working property

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for a couple who run their own business and, at first,

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the enthusiasm takes a bit of time to get going.

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It's...well, yes, interesting!

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But then, their reactions are almost off the scale.

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I'm going to shock you here now...

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a nine-and-a-half.

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THEY GASP AND LAUGH

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Zowie, wowee!

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Today, we're in North East Wales,

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and this is the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct,

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which, amazingly, was designed back in 1795

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by Thomas Telford.

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It's part of the very ambitious scheme to join

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the Rivers Dee and the Mersey.

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Now, the whole project took about ten years

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and £47,000, in their money,

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which is about £50 million in today's money,

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and they never quite finished the whole complex,

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but they did finish this very impressive stretch,

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and over 5,000 canal boats still cross it to this day,

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and it's going to be a very vertiginous journey.

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North East Wales is a region that encompasses

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the counties of Wrexham, Flintshire and Denbighshire

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and shares its coastline with the Irish Sea.

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It's a largely rural area, and the main industry

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is in sheep and cattle farming,

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although crops, such as wheat and barley, are grown here too.

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Tourism is a big part of the economy, bringing in £1.8 billion

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across the whole of North Wales each year,

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as well as over 37,000 jobs.

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When you look at the stunning scenery this part of Wales

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has to offer, from the picturesque Horseshoe Pass in the Dee Valley,

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to the historical and charming towns of Llangollen and Denbigh,

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it's no wonder these counties are so popular

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with tourists and house-buyers alike.

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But let's meet today's house-hunting couple

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and find out what's on their wish list.

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John and Sally run a forestry business

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and have been married for almost 40 years.

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They've been in their four-bedroom home in Shrewsbury, Shropshire,

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for six years,

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but it's the business that's providing the main impetus

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for their tenth house purchase.

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Since we've moved here...

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our family business has changed direction,

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and, so, we're in commercial forestry

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and we need to have land,

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we need to have two or three acres round our home.

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We need space round the property to store rather large machinery

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and, um, if we go to a place in the country,

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we will immediately turn to renewables and, obviously,

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wood is our business and we would heat it with wood,

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it's quite simple.

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So, a renewable forever-home set in a couple of acres

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is what this couple are after and, naturally,

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they'd like to be near some woodland too.

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Well, we do a lot of work in North Wales's forests, so...

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On the outskirts of Chester,

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on the Welsh side of Chester, in Denbighshire and Flintshire,

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that's really where we want to move to.

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But if they have a chance to relax, there are pursuits

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old and new they'd like to spend time on.

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We already like walking with the dog.

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One thing I would like to do in the country,

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I quite like doing craftwork and I do craftwork with the local school

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where my grandchildren go, and I would...

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I'd like to throw pottery, make pottery.

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One of the interesting aspects of the move is to gear up

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a little bit more for my hobby, which is sailing

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and the latest acquisition, sailing-wise,

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is an Australian design trimaran

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which, um...is quite portable

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and I can bring it home and work on it in the winter.

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They've got a pretty substantial list of preferences

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for the new property, inside and out.

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I don't think we'd consider living in a house with low beams

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so that you've got to bend your head, or houses which are...

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um...

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..very old.

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What we need in our next home

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would be three bedrooms, two bathrooms,

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a large study for John,

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a good, spacious entrance hall,

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a large kitchen-dining room big enough to put a range in,

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and somewhere that we can put in a wood burner,

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so we need a chimney.

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The land really needs to have a couple of buildings on it,

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like a Dutch barn or workshop, so that we can service our

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harvesting equipment as and when,

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and store our boat in the winter.

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Just one last thing to check out,

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and that's how much money they'd like to spend.

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Our maximum budget is £550,000.

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John and Sally would like us to concentrate our house search

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to the west of Chester

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in the Welsh counties of Flintshire and Denbighshire.

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We've got some fantastic houses in store for our buyers

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and, as usual, they'll need to guess the price before I reveal it.

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Our final option is, of course, our Mystery House, which aims to

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challenge their preconceptions about their perfect home.

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-Morning, guys.

-BOTH:

-Morning, Alistair.

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-A beautiful morning here in North East Wales.

-It certainly is.

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-Do you know this area very well?

-We were married in this area.

-Really?

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-Yeah.

-Well, it's like a coming home.

-It is.

-It is a little, yes.

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And what are the qualities that you're looking for?

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We'd like a little bit of land, Alistair,

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up to about three acres, not too much more.

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Um... A nice building.

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A Dutch barn would be great.

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-Right.

-Um...

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But, as far as the house is concerned, I think

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Sally will have the say on that.

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I want a cosy home, I want a home with soul,

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-and I want to know that it's going to be ours forever.

-Sure.

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I shall know quite quickly, Alistair.

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Right. Well, they say that you can tell in the first few seconds.

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-Yes.

-Well, it's a beautiful day for property shopping, so let's go.

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-Let's go.

-Follow me.

-Can't wait!

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For a maximum budget of £550,000,

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John and Sally are looking for a house with...

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..with outbuildings for machinery maintenance and boat storage.

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We've travelled 70 miles from Chester, close to Ruthin,

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the county town of Denbighshire, located in the Vale of Clwyd.

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The church here dates back to 1310, and there are amenities

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such as a regular market for local produce

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as well as a post office and a friendly, traditional inn.

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Our first property is three miles outside Ruthin

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and is set in over two-and-a-half acres of land

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with splendid views along the western slopes

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of the Clwydian hills.

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Here we are - house number one.

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-Wow!

-Right.

-It's a beautiful spot, isn't it?

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-It certainly is, Alistair, it's fantastic.

-Yeah, amazing.

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-And this is the house I want to show you.

-Hmm.

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-As you can see, it's a barn conversion.

-Yeah.

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It's rather attractive, it's lovely stone.

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It's very interesting.

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It's...well, yes, interesting, but on the small side.

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-A bit small?

-Yes.

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'Well, this property may not look spacious from the outside,

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'but appearances can be deceiving, as they'll find

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'when they step through the front door.'

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So, we come into this really nice...

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hallway. If you can shut the door.

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-We go straight through into...

-Very spacious!

-..the kitchen.

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Oh, yes. That's rather nice.

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-It doesn't really feel like a barn conversion at all.

-No, it doesn't.

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No, it just feels like a modern kitchen

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-and I can see a space to put a range cooker in.

-There is a range, yes.

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Which is quite essential for me, yes. I like it. I like it.

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Nice, big travertine floors.

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I love the floor and I like the view of the cows through the window.

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Yeah. So, you know, we were talking about getting the first feel

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in the first ten seconds. Has it, er...?

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I don't know yet. It's a nice, cosy feel.

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-We haven't ruled it out in the first ten seconds.

-No, no, no, no!

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With space for the range cooker a big tick for Sally,

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and those stunning views a plus for both of them,

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we're bypassing the dining room to have a look

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at the equally cosy sitting room.

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Wow.

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-Again, a lovely view.

-Yeah.

-And French windows.

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I mean, this is half the size of our present sitting room.

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-Right.

-Um...

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-And we do like a bit of space round us, don't we?

-Yeah.

-But it's...

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-It's not vast, it's not roomy and cavernous.

-No.

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-It could be cosy.

-It's definitely going to be cosy in here.

-Yes.

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That's another word that we keep using, but it's cosy.

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Well, it is a word that certainly fits this house.

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Also on the ground floor is a study,

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and the hallway definitely has the spaciousness that Sally likes.

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Upstairs, there are three bedrooms.

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A bright double room for guests,

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along with a good-sized single room.

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And there's a large bathroom too,

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but we're heading for where they could be sleeping.

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This is the master bedroom.

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This is a nice bedroom.

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-It's got three aspects.

-Yep.

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-Four, five!

-Five aspects! Quintuple aspects!

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Yes, yes, yes, yes! It's really, really nice.

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It's a really lovely bedroom, actually. Yeah.

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Outside continues to deliver,

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with plenty of land on offer for all their forestry business needs.

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In total, there's half an acre of gardens and two acres of paddock

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with space for a large outbuilding,

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although this may require permission from the local county council.

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There's also a large garage where they could store their boat.

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But what I wanted to surprise them with

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is the area that sits above the garage.

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Come on in, cos then there's this.

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-Wow!

-Gosh.

-That's a surprise.

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-Fully kitted out above the garage...

-Yes?

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-So, you've got a little bathroom in there.

-Right.

-Storage here.

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-And I thought this would make a lovely office.

-It certainly would!

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-Yeah.

-I think there's something nice about going to work,

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even though you're working at home.

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John's worked at home all our married life.

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I'm quite...

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quite taken with this.

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Well, I'm glad they're pleased with this part of the property,

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but the outside is the all-important factor.

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So, I think we should discuss the land.

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So, you would use this field to store your bits.

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Yeah, I would, and I'd see

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whether we could put a building up just behind me on the boundary.

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-Great, so that would be enough space for you, do you think?

-Definitely.

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-Yes, yes.

-So, how much do you think this package is on the market for?

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-I would say 480.

-480? OK.

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I would say 500.

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OK, so, it's a little bit between.

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It's actually on the market for 495.

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-Oh.

-Right.

-So, you were closer.

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At £495,000, this property is well within their budget,

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offering a large kitchen,

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with room for a range cooker,

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three bedrooms,

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self-contained office space for John,

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a garage for storing their boat,

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and over two-and-a-half acres of land for business use.

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I'm a convert to the Vale here. It's a beautiful spot.

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-Glad to hear it.

-Good. Let's go and see house number two.

-Right.

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The Church of St Matthew is the oldest parish church

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in the Flintshire town of Buckley.

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Built in 1822, it was updated in the early 1900s

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around the same time as

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the North Wales Association of Church Bell Ringers

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was founded in Bangor, Gwynedd.

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I've come to meet expert campanologist Geoff Parting,

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who's been bell-ringing since he was 13 years old,

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and he's going to teach me more about this rather unique art.

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The church has a dozen bell-ringers,

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but only six to eight are needed at any one time.

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-Good morning.

-This is Bernard, he's the master of the tower.

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-Master of the tower!

-Nice to meet you, yes.

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You're the captain of the tower, you're the master of the tower.

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-Well, if I just explain to you how it works...

-You've got eight bells.

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Eight bells up there, yes. And, when you pull the bell,

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-it turns through 360 degrees.

-Mm-hmm.

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The stay hits what we call a slider over there

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and that stops it going any further.

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-So, when we pull the bell down again like this...

-Mh-hm.

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..it comes all the way that way... BELL RINGS

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Ah, so each ring is a ring on both ways.

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-A ring going up and a ring going down.

-Hand-stroke and back-stroke we call it.

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When ringing, the best method is to allow the weight of the bell

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to do most of the work.

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You give the rope a sharp pull to start it on its journey down

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and keep it as straight as possible.

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BELL RINGS That's the pace

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that we would be ringing at, if we got all eight going.

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So, it's time for me to try my hand

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at the campanologists' art.

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Right, pull. Go on.

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BELL RINGS Down and catch.

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Whoa!

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-Don't look up.

-Don't look up? Don't look up.

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-Right down.

-It's going a bit faster than it was before. Wahey!

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BELL RINGS

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I rather enjoyed that.

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But, for now, it's time to return to our house-hunt.

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We've travelled 16 miles from Chester

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to the Flintshire market town of Caerwys.

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It has a church with a late-13th century tower and nave

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as well as day-to-day essentials such as a pharmacy,

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a post office and a traditional pub

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set in a grade-two listed 16th century building.

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Just down the round in the old mining village of Lixwm

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is property number two,

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a 1990s build that's been recently remodelled.

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So, here we are - house number two.

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Well, that's rather nice, Alistair.

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-Yeah?

-Very nice.

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-Yes.

-Oh, big smiles on your faces. That's good.

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-Quite a different offering. This is a much more modern property.

-Right.

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-It's actually just 20 years old.

-Very nice. Very good.

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Seven out of ten so far, and we're only outside,

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so you're in the right direction there, Alistair.

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Ah, well, that's high praise coming from you.

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-I know these things don't come easily.

-No, they don't.

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Let's get inside while the compliments are flowing from Sally,

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and I've got a feeling she's going to love what she sees.

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So...

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In you come.

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So, let's go straight here into the sitting room.

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What a fantastic room.

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It's light...

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A nice pair of French doors there and...

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three aspects of light coming in.

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It's what I would call a bonny room.

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-A bonny room?

-Yes.

-Oh, excellent.

-Yes.

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And a proper fire here, so that's...

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-Could we put a wood burner in there, do you think, Alistair?

-Yeah, of course.

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So, you're getting a good vibe?

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-Yes.

-Yeah.

-Really?

-Yes.

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-Oh, cautious, I can see you're like...

-Careful, yes.

-Careful.

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A little panting there.

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Could this be the one?

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Could be. Could be, yes.

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Well, I think I know how to change "could be" into "will be."

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I want to go straight in here.

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-Spacious.

-This is your kitchen.

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-Oh!

-Oh, ho-ho!

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THEY LAUGH

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-A bit bigger than the last one, isn't it?

-It certainly is.

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It certainly is. Yes.

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-I could do things in here, Alistair.

-Yeah?

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I can see a nice range cooker over there,

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-and eating here.

-Yeah.

-Cooking...

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Yes. What do you think, John?

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I think it's excellent. Excellent.

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Well, the really great thing about this kitchen is,

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if you look behind you, there's a snug which gets lots of

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lovely afternoon light, so you can have your tea.

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You've also got this outside room,

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so you can bring the dogs in there, the boots and everything,

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and, in here, are all of your white goods -

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-a utility room.

-Wonderful!

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-That is good.

-So, sealed off.

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So, points?

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I'm going to shock you here now.

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A nine-and-a-half.

0:16:310:16:33

THEY GASP AND LAUGH

0:16:330:16:34

Zowie, wowee!

0:16:340:16:36

-Very excited!

-Yeah.

0:16:360:16:38

While the going's good, we're heading upstairs to see

0:16:380:16:41

if this house can keep scoring highly,

0:16:410:16:43

and there's four very good-sized bedrooms up here -

0:16:430:16:46

two bright double rooms for guests

0:16:460:16:49

and a neat twin room with wooden flooring,

0:16:490:16:52

all of which share a family bathroom with a shower cubicle.

0:16:520:16:55

Then we come to a very impressive main bedroom,

0:16:550:16:58

which is complete with an en-suite shower room.

0:16:580:17:01

If you come through over here, you get a view of the...

0:17:010:17:04

full extent of your master suite.

0:17:040:17:06

Goodness me!

0:17:060:17:08

-I can see an

-en-suite. Yeah, you've got an en-suite.

0:17:080:17:11

-Thank you. And all this lovely storage for shoes.

-Yeah, yeah.

0:17:110:17:15

We're coming up to a ten again.

0:17:150:17:16

-Oh!

-Towards it, not quite, but we're nearly there, Alistair.

0:17:160:17:20

-Push the ten boundary.

-Nearly.

0:17:200:17:22

I'm really delighted that Sally is so enthused about this property,

0:17:220:17:25

but I know exactly what could push her rating up even higher,

0:17:250:17:29

and it's on the way outside to the garden.

0:17:290:17:31

Wow.

0:17:310:17:33

-Oh, a nice...

-Nice dining room.

-Nice separate dining room.

0:17:330:17:37

And then, this! Step in.

0:17:370:17:39

-Alistair, it's just getting better and better, isn't it?

-Cool.

0:17:390:17:43

This is a lovely big dining room, big size,

0:17:430:17:47

-and it sweeps into this beautiful...

-Yeah.

-..conservatory.

0:17:470:17:50

And it's a nice-shaped conservatory, isn't it? Yes.

0:17:500:17:54

Well, this is what runs all the way down cos it's separated

0:17:540:17:56

by those doors, but that on the other side

0:17:560:17:58

is a continuation of the conservatory and that's the doggy utility room.

0:17:580:18:02

That's an excellent idea, isn't it?

0:18:020:18:04

Well, this is another bonny room, that's all I can say.

0:18:040:18:07

I'm coming to appreciate that bonny in your lexicon

0:18:070:18:10

is like AMAZING in everyone else's!

0:18:100:18:13

Yes.

0:18:130:18:14

I think we've almost got a sale here,

0:18:140:18:16

and the outside could seal the deal.

0:18:160:18:19

A short walk from the house is the self-contained annexe,

0:18:190:18:22

which has plenty of space for that office,

0:18:220:18:25

and it has a wood burner too.

0:18:250:18:27

Very bonny!

0:18:270:18:28

Along with a well-equipped kitchen, it also provides extra accommodation

0:18:280:18:32

in the form of a double bedroom with a handy bathroom.

0:18:320:18:36

Behind it, there are some outbuildings

0:18:360:18:38

which might work as storage for wood or the boat.

0:18:380:18:41

And, in the paddock, there's enough space to carry out maintenance work.

0:18:410:18:45

Away from the business, there's also a patio area for leisure.

0:18:450:18:50

OK, well, I suppose the crunch is how much does it cost?

0:18:500:18:53

Well, I'm going to go in somewhere round about, say, 530.

0:18:530:18:57

What about you, Sally?

0:18:570:18:59

I'm going to go for exactly the same as the first one -

0:18:590:19:02

-500.

-500?

-Yes.

0:19:020:19:04

Well, in this instance...

0:19:040:19:07

Sally, you are...

0:19:070:19:09

-exactly right.

-Wow.

-It's on at

0:19:090:19:12

just a pound or two under...

0:19:120:19:15

£500,000 - 499,950.

0:19:150:19:17

And it seems that it gets a lot higher rating.

0:19:170:19:20

Oh, yes, yes!

0:19:200:19:22

THEY LAUGH

0:19:220:19:23

Well, if I might say it, this one has gobsmacked me.

0:19:230:19:26

-Oh!

-Oh!

-Wow!

0:19:260:19:29

Well within budget at a shade under £500,000,

0:19:290:19:32

this bonny property

0:19:320:19:34

gives them absolutely everything they've dreamed of.

0:19:340:19:37

A lovely social reception space with log-burner potential,

0:19:370:19:41

and a kitchen with range cooker.

0:19:410:19:43

Four bedrooms and two bathrooms,

0:19:430:19:46

along with a separate annexe that could serve as business premises.

0:19:460:19:50

Outside, there's also two-and-a-half acres of land, with outbuildings.

0:19:500:19:54

-Good vibes?

-Yes.

-Excellent.

0:19:540:19:57

-That's a good note to finish the day on!

-It is.

0:19:570:19:59

A perfect end to our first day of house-hunting as the sun sets

0:20:080:20:12

over the spectacular scenery of the Welsh countryside.

0:20:120:20:16

I've noticed on this series that the Mystery House has often

0:20:210:20:24

helped us out of a sticky situation,

0:20:240:20:26

sort of saved the day at the last minute,

0:20:260:20:28

but, on this show, I think we've already given John and Sally

0:20:280:20:31

exactly what they want, so they don't need saving.

0:20:310:20:34

So, the Mystery House for us is a bit more of a punt.

0:20:340:20:37

I mean, it still has all the beautiful Welsh landscape,

0:20:370:20:40

but it has one thing...

0:20:400:20:42

they're not so keen on.

0:20:420:20:44

A mere six miles from Chester is the Flintshire town of Mold,

0:20:480:20:52

a busy community that grew up around its Norman castle.

0:20:520:20:55

Its attractions include a 15th century church

0:20:550:20:58

as well as the usual high street amenities,

0:20:580:21:01

such as pubs and shops aplenty.

0:21:010:21:04

A couple of miles south-west of Mold,

0:21:040:21:06

close to the village of Llanberis, is our Mystery House,

0:21:060:21:09

an 18th century cottage lying at the end of its own private track

0:21:090:21:14

and surrounded by open countryside.

0:21:140:21:17

So, this is the Mystery House.

0:21:170:21:19

The kern of the house is from 1799.

0:21:210:21:25

What are your first impressions?

0:21:250:21:27

Quite small. Pretty.

0:21:270:21:29

-Quaint.

-Quaint?

-Quaint.

0:21:290:21:32

What does that decode as?

0:21:320:21:35

-Interesting.

-Well, that's even worse!

0:21:350:21:37

THEY LAUGH

0:21:370:21:38

Quaint and interesting, they strike fear into an estate agent's heart.

0:21:380:21:41

-No.

-Um...

0:21:410:21:43

It is though, quaint, yeah. And the view is splendid.

0:21:430:21:47

I don't know. It's one of those...

0:21:470:21:48

You don't know till you get inside, do you, really?

0:21:480:21:50

Well, I hope Sally is right

0:21:500:21:52

and the enthusiasm of yesterday returns

0:21:520:21:55

once they get inside this quirky property,

0:21:550:21:57

which is a mix of old alongside the modern they prefer.

0:21:570:22:01

We go through into here. Straight into...

0:22:010:22:05

the most modern part of the house. This is from 2002,

0:22:050:22:08

and this extension actually even more recently.

0:22:080:22:10

Very individual, isn't it?

0:22:100:22:13

-Mm-hmm.

-It's very, very...

-How about you, John?

0:22:130:22:16

Yeah, I see it as a Sally house,

0:22:160:22:18

there's little nooks and crannies

0:22:180:22:20

everywhere and it's... Yes, it's very homely.

0:22:200:22:23

Do you see it as a John house?

0:22:230:22:25

Um...

0:22:250:22:26

I do actually, yeah.

0:22:260:22:28

I mean, the fantastic view out of the window here.

0:22:280:22:31

And there are more spectacular views of the Clwyd Valley

0:22:310:22:34

from the beautiful conservatory area, which should appeal to Sally.

0:22:340:22:38

But we're here to challenge their preconceptions

0:22:380:22:40

about period properties,

0:22:400:22:42

so let's move onto the older part of the house.

0:22:420:22:45

This was actually the original cottage, it was just this width.

0:22:450:22:49

Very small.

0:22:490:22:51

And the present owner dug out the original hearth,

0:22:510:22:55

and they've turned this into the snug, so the snug heart of the home.

0:22:550:22:59

-I'd find it TOO snug.

-Too snug!

0:23:000:23:02

THEY LAUGH

0:23:020:23:04

-And John?

-No, I quite like the room, actually, because, in the winter,

0:23:040:23:07

I could imagine the heat coming out of that

0:23:070:23:09

-and everything would be locked down.

-It would be a winter room,

0:23:090:23:13

you're right, John. It would be cosy and comfortable and very warm.

0:23:130:23:16

John's trying his best, but maybe the open-plan family room

0:23:160:23:20

with dining area and kitchen will get a stronger reaction from Sally?

0:23:200:23:25

Yes, now, this is... This is an improvement.

0:23:250:23:28

-Oh, your face has lit up!

-Yes. Yes, this is lovely.

0:23:280:23:31

You'd have to put your range in it.

0:23:310:23:32

Well, I was just looking over there to see if there was a...

0:23:320:23:35

-It's an outside wall, isn't it?

-Mmm. Yeah.

0:23:350:23:37

And I could put a range on there.

0:23:370:23:40

What do you think about this room, John?

0:23:400:23:42

I think it's wonderfully light

0:23:420:23:43

and it's a homely room, definitely.

0:23:430:23:46

-Yeah.

-And considering that it was really just that room next door,

0:23:460:23:50

initially, and all of these extensions,

0:23:500:23:52

-I think they've been tremendously well done.

-Clever. Clever.

-Yeah.

0:23:520:23:56

With Sally considering where to put her range cooker,

0:23:560:23:59

things are definitely looking up for this lovely property

0:23:590:24:02

and I think upstairs won't disappoint.

0:24:020:24:05

Here, there are three very good-sized double bedrooms

0:24:050:24:07

all dual aspect, with amazing unspoilt views,

0:24:070:24:11

some of which can be seen through the unique round feature windows.

0:24:110:24:15

There's also the family bathroom.

0:24:150:24:17

But we're heading to the room

0:24:170:24:19

that John and Sally could be calling their own.

0:24:190:24:21

This has its own en-suite and, of course,

0:24:210:24:25

upstairs, everything revolves around these amazing views.

0:24:250:24:28

-Hmm.

-They certainly do.

0:24:280:24:30

No, it's a nice little room and though it looks old,

0:24:300:24:32

nothing seems to be falling to bits.

0:24:320:24:34

It looks very good.

0:24:340:24:35

Obviously, yesterday was such a big hit.

0:24:350:24:38

-It's quite a hard act to follow.

-It is, really, I'm afraid to say. It is!

0:24:380:24:42

Just one part of this property left,

0:24:420:24:44

and that's the one-and-a-half acres of land that surround it.

0:24:440:24:48

As well as a garden,

0:24:480:24:49

there's a huge amount of yard and parking space

0:24:490:24:51

for machinery maintenance.

0:24:510:24:53

There's also a whole host of outbuildings,

0:24:530:24:55

including a double garage for the boat, open-front units

0:24:550:24:59

for wood storage, a summer house

0:24:590:25:01

and a small timber-built office.

0:25:010:25:04

OK, so the big question - how much does it cost?

0:25:040:25:06

I would put a price on...

0:25:080:25:11

400.

0:25:110:25:12

I'm going to go for rather low, and say 399.

0:25:120:25:15

It's actually on the market for...

0:25:150:25:18

-454,000.

-Oh!

-Good Lord!

0:25:180:25:21

Yeah, yeah.

0:25:210:25:22

So, quite a bit higher than your guess.

0:25:220:25:25

For £454,000, this house, in its idyllic setting,

0:25:250:25:30

is well within their budget.

0:25:300:25:32

It offers a wood burner in the cosy lounge,

0:25:320:25:34

potential for a range in the kitchen,

0:25:340:25:37

three bedrooms, two bathrooms,

0:25:370:25:39

and almost two acres of land with outbuildings

0:25:390:25:42

for storage and office use.

0:25:420:25:44

Let's regroup, think about all the houses we've seen

0:25:440:25:48

and have a cup of tea.

0:25:480:25:49

-Lovely!

-Grand.

-This way.

0:25:490:25:51

Hello, guys. Ah, you've found the nice warm fire.

0:25:580:26:01

-It's been a bit nippy here in Wales, hasn't it?

-It has.

0:26:010:26:04

Let's review, shall we? What did you think of the first one?

0:26:040:26:07

I think the house as such wouldn't have appealed to Sally,

0:26:070:26:11

but, obviously, the location was fantastic,

0:26:110:26:13

but the biggest killer of that was the distance from Chester.

0:26:130:26:17

I would like to live much nearer to Chester

0:26:170:26:20

so we could have a house that I really like.

0:26:200:26:23

And the second house... Now, this was a bit more impressive.

0:26:230:26:26

Purpose-built house,

0:26:260:26:28

access for awkward vehicles, big vehicles -

0:26:280:26:31

perfect in many, many ways.

0:26:310:26:34

I still think it's fantastic.

0:26:340:26:36

It's a lovely house, there's not much maintenance to do

0:26:360:26:39

in the future, it's got all we need,

0:26:390:26:41

it's got everything for John, hasn't it?

0:26:410:26:43

-Yeah.

-And...

0:26:430:26:45

-..it's not too far from Chester.

-What about the Mystery House?

0:26:460:26:49

Cos that was a bit of a curveball in the sense that it was a period property.

0:26:490:26:52

When I arrived I thought, "Good grief!"

0:26:520:26:55

But it got better

0:26:550:26:57

and, had we been a lot younger,

0:26:570:27:00

it would have been very much a John and Sally house, wouldn't it?

0:27:000:27:03

Yes, absolutely.

0:27:030:27:05

But the access killed it.

0:27:050:27:06

We wouldn't get lorries up there,

0:27:060:27:09

but the view was outstanding of the back of the Byrwynds and Morfemer.

0:27:090:27:13

Excellent.

0:27:130:27:15

You talked a lot about the "Sally and John" house.

0:27:150:27:17

Do you have an idea what that might be?

0:27:170:27:19

Probably, quite near to the house we... The number two house...

0:27:190:27:23

-yesterday...that was quite near, wasn't it?

-IS the number two house?

0:27:230:27:26

Could well be. There's a really good chance, Alistair.

0:27:260:27:30

Well, fingers crossed.

0:27:300:27:31

I really hope that you like the second house on

0:27:310:27:34

the second viewing and that you move in.

0:27:340:27:36

Thank you, Alistair, we've enjoyed it.

0:27:360:27:38

-We've had a lovely, lovely time.

-Great fun.

0:27:380:27:40

I'm truly hoping that we have found

0:27:450:27:47

a "Sally and John" house, cos they're a lovely couple

0:27:470:27:50

and they have picked a stunning part of the country to live in.

0:27:500:27:54

And if you've enjoyed our property-hunting exploits in the UK,

0:27:540:27:58

then make sure you join us next time for more Escape To The Country.

0:27:580:28:02

Although John and Sally loved our second property,

0:28:040:28:08

they eventually decided it was a journey too far from Chester,

0:28:080:28:11

and so their house-hunt continues.

0:28:110:28:15

And if you want to escape to the country in Northern Ireland,

0:28:150:28:18

Scotland, Wales or England, and you need our help,

0:28:180:28:21

why not apply online at...

0:28:210:28:25

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